USDA Allows School to Serve Meals Free This Summer

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says schools that have been serving meals to kids during COVID-19 can continue serving free meals to all children, regardless of where they live, for the rest of the summer. “As our nation reopens and people return to work, it remains critical that our children continue to receive safe, healthy, and nutritious food,” Perdue says. “We are extending one of the significant flexibilities provided in March during the coronavirus national emergency to schools, summer sites, and other folks who operate our programs so they can best adapt to the situation on the ground and serve our children well.” The Hagstrom Report says the flexibility will make sure kids continue to get fed throughout the summer. The nationwide waiver that was extended is for area eligibility, which allows all children in all areas to receive free meals through the USDA’s summer meals programs. Typically, USDA-funded summer meal sites are limited to children in low-income areas. The School Nutrition Association says this is great news, noting that many districts were facing the prospect of significantly reducing their service and reach over the summer because many of their feeding sites were in non-area-eligible communities.